Normally we don't report on every fart that gets patented by the big companies, but the following patent by Apple is actually pretty interesting: Apple has patented a method to store a user's ~/ directory (home directory) on external storage (the iPod?), making it portable. This will enable users to carry all their settings, programs, and files with them, so they can load up any Mac in the world with their own settings, programs, and files. Obviously, this is 'just' a patent, and by no means a definitive feature of Leopard or Leopard+1, but interesting nonetheless. Is this Apple's answer to Google's OS?